Hank Aaron, who endured racist threats with stoic dignity during his pursuit of Babe Ruth’s home run record, gracefully left his mark as one of baseball’s greatest all-around players. “Hammerin’ Hank” died on Friday. He was 86.
The Atlanta Braves, Aaron’s longtime team, said he died peacefully in his sleep. No cause was given.
Aaron made his last public appearance just about three weeks ago, when he received the COVID-19 vaccine. He said he wanted to encourage other black Americans to get vaccinated against the virus.
The hard-hitting Hall of Famer set a wide array of career records during his 23 years on the diamond, mostly with the Milwaukee and Atlanta Braves. He topped charts in RBIs (runs batted in), extra-base hits (hits greater than singles), and total bases earned. But Aaron will be remembered for one swing above all others: the one that made him baseball’s home-run king.
Before a sellout crowd at Atlanta Stadium and a national television audience on April 8, 1974, Aaron broke the Sultan of Swat’s home-run record with his Number 715. The pitch was delivered by the LA Dodgers’ Al Downing.
Home Run King was a title Aaron would hold for more than 33 years. But the Hammer didn’t stop there. He finished his career with 755 homers and claimed his rightful place as one of America’s most iconic sporting figures. Barry Bonds surpassed Aaron’s total runs record in 2007, though under allegations that he may have used performance-enhancing drugs to do so.
Aaron never begrudged someone eclipsing his mark. His common refrain was: More than three decades as the king was long enough. It was time for someone else to hold the record.
But even with the record, no one can take away his legacy.
“I just tried to play the game the way it was supposed to be played,” Aaron said. Simple as that.
Aaron’s journey to that memorable homer and the title he carried after it was hardly pleasant. He was targeted with extensive hate mail as he closed in on The Babe’s cherished record of 714 homers. Sadly, much of the hatred expressed was centered on the fact that Ruth was white and Aaron was black. Aaron traveled with bodyguards. Others kept watch over his family. Prior to reaching the record, Aaron felt the sting. “If I was white, all America would be proud of me,” he said.
Though he was known for having a “quiet personality” and preferring not to speak out, he also felt compelled to do so. Rising in success as a black athlete at a time when civil rights issues were also being raised gave him a platform and a responsibility to speak about injustice that he might not have had at a different time in American history. Over time, he became known and will be remembered as a civil rights activist.
In addition to “activist” and “slugger,” Aaron was also a gifted outfielder with a powerful throwing arm. He had a smooth, effortless stride that assisted him in stealing bases at record numbers too. Aaron was a three-time Gold Glove winner.
“And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” — Esther 4:14
(In this April 4, 1974, photo, baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn, right, presents Atlanta Braves’ Hank Aaron with a trophy after he tied Babe Ruth’s all-time home-run record in Cincinnati. Four days later, Aaron would break the record and displace the Sultan of Swat. AP/Bob Johnson)
